Between the high-tech sex toys, transplanted uteri, lab-grown penises, and perils of hookup apps, 2014 sometimes sounded like a science fiction novel. But we can’t forget the news about IUDs and STIs that came out this year, either.

This week, new estimates suggest almost two million cases of chlamydia, there’s more evidence that HIV therapy cannot eradicate the virus in babies, and a study finds that less pubic hair may mean fewer pubic lice—though they won’t be extinct any time soon.

Released Monday, the report found that the number of new HIV infections is down, more people are getting the treatment they need, and fewer people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2012, compared to the peak in 2005.

The World Health Organization has released new guidelines for AIDS treatment around the world. The guidelines come with a hefty price tag but may save millions of lives around the world and make a real dent in the HIV epidemic.

President Obama has repeatedly stressed his administration’s commitment to science as one way to distinguish his leadership from that of his predecessor. Right now that commitment is being put to the test on HIV and AIDS: if the President could do more to end the crisis, would he?

Recent advances in HIV prevention promise to catalyze the global effort to reverse the spread of HIV. But we also must ensure that the estimated 33 million already living with the virus have access to quality sexual and reproductive health services.